Pork Chorizo Meatballs & Pepper Rice with Chipotle-Peanut Sauce
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Pork Chorizo Meatballs & Pepper Rice

with Chipotle-Peanut Sauce

35 MIN
2 Servings
Wellness at Blue Apron
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Vegetarian
These recipes don’t contain meat, poultry, fish, or seafood.* They’re made with fruits and vegetables, grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds. *Select artisanal cheeses may contain animal-derived rennet.
Carb Conscious
These meals have 48g or less of net carbs (total carbs minus dietary fiber) per serving. They replace refined carbohydrates from sources like white flour, rice, and cane sugar with high-fiber foods like fresh vegetables, fruits, and whole grains.
600 Calories Or Less
Coming in at 600 calories or less per serving, these recipes are ideal for those choosing to monitor their caloric intake without sacrificing flavor. The US Food & Drug Administration uses 2000 calorie daily intake for general advice. The 600 calorie cap equates to 30% of the total 2000 calories per day based on 3 meals per day with 200 calories remaining for snack or beverage.
Wellness Grain
These recipes feature grains such as barley, quinoa, farro, orzo, couscous and more, handpicked by our Culinary team in collaboration with our Registered Dietitian.
Pescatarian
These recipes feature a wide array of nutritious seafood options like salmon, cod, tilapia, crab, and shrimp. While these dishes never contain meat, pork or poultry, they may contain animal derived ingredients such as milk, butter, cheese and/or honey.
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From the Test Kitchen

These flavorful meatballs—made with smoky chorizo, a type of Mexican-spiced pork sausage—get a delicious lift from a savory sauce of tomato, chipotle chile paste, and creamy peanut butter spread for incredible depth of flavor.
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  • Nutrition
    PER SERVING
  • Calories
    800 Cals (est.)
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fresh
ingredients
Pork Chorizo Meatballs & Pepper Rice with Chipotle-Peanut Sauce
Title
  • 10 oz Pork Chorizo
  • ½ cup Long Grain White Rice
  • 1 Tbsp Smooth Peanut Butter Spread
  • 1 Red Onion
  • 2 tsps Chipotle Chile Paste
  • 4 oz Sweet Peppers
  • ¼ cup Sour Cream
  • 2 Tbsps Raw Pepitas
  • 2 Tbsps Tomato Paste
  • ¼ cup Panko Breadcrumbs
  • 1 Tbsp Light Brown Sugar
time-saving
tips & techniques
Prepare the ingredients
1 Prepare the ingredients

Wash and dry the peppers. Cut off and discard the stems; remove the cores, then large dice. Halve, peel, and medium dice the onion. In a bowl, whisk together the tomato paste, peanut butter spread, sugar, and as much of the chile paste as you’d like, depending on how spicy you’d like the dish to be. In a separate bowl, combine the sour cream and 2 teaspoons of water; season with salt and pepper.

Make the pepper rice
2 Make the pepper rice

Carefully rinse the rice (sifting through for any impurities). Drain thoroughly. In a medium pot, heat a drizzle of olive oil on medium-high until hot. Add the diced peppers and diced onion; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, 2 to 3 minutes, or until slightly softened. Add the rice, a big pinch of salt, and 1 cup of water (carefully, as the liquid may splatter); stir to combine. Heat to boiling on high. Once boiling, reduce the heat to low. Cover and cook, without stirring, 16 to 18 minutes, or until the water has been absorbed and the rice is tender. Turn off the heat and fluff with a fork.

Toast the pepitas
3 Toast the pepitas

Meanwhile, in a medium pan (nonstick, if you have one), heat a drizzle of olive oil on medium-high until hot. Add the pepitas; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring constantly, 1 to 3 minutes, or until toasted (be careful, as the pepitas may pop as they toast). Transfer to a bowl. Wipe out the pan.

Form the meatballs
4 Form the meatballs

In a bowl, combine the chorizo and breadcrumbs. Gently mix until just combined. Shape the mixture into 10 tightly packed meatballs. Transfer to a plate.

Cook the meatballs & serve your dish
5 Cook the meatballs & serve your dish

In the same pan, a drizzle of olive oil on medium-high until hot. Add the meatballs. Cook, turning occasionally, 3 to 4 minutes, or until browned on all sides. Using a spoon, move the meatballs to one side of the pan. Add the chipotle-peanut mixture to the other side. Cook, stirring frequently, 30 seconds to 1 minute, or until fragrant. Add 1 cup of water (carefully, as the liquid may splatter). Cook, stirring frequently and spooning the sauce over the meatballs, 5 to 7 minutes, or until the sauce is thickened and the meatballs are cooked through.* Turn off the heat. Taste, then season with salt and pepper if desired. Serve the cooked meatballs and sauce over the pepper rice. Garnish with the seasoned sour cream and toasted pepitas. Enjoy!

*The USDA recommends a minimum safe cooking temperature of 160°F for pork. 

Tips from Home Chefs

Prepare the ingredients
1 Prepare the ingredients

Wash and dry the peppers. Cut off and discard the stems; remove the cores, then large dice. Halve, peel, and medium dice the onion. In a bowl, whisk together the tomato paste, peanut butter spread, sugar, and as much of the chile paste as you’d like, depending on how spicy you’d like the dish to be. In a separate bowl, combine the sour cream and 2 teaspoons of water; season with salt and pepper.

2 Make the pepper rice

Carefully rinse the rice (sifting through for any impurities). Drain thoroughly. In a medium pot, heat a drizzle of olive oil on medium-high until hot. Add the diced peppers and diced onion; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, 2 to 3 minutes, or until slightly softened. Add the rice, a big pinch of salt, and 1 cup of water (carefully, as the liquid may splatter); stir to combine. Heat to boiling on high. Once boiling, reduce the heat to low. Cover and cook, without stirring, 16 to 18 minutes, or until the water has been absorbed and the rice is tender. Turn off the heat and fluff with a fork.

Make the pepper rice
Toast the pepitas
3 Toast the pepitas

Meanwhile, in a medium pan (nonstick, if you have one), heat a drizzle of olive oil on medium-high until hot. Add the pepitas; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring constantly, 1 to 3 minutes, or until toasted (be careful, as the pepitas may pop as they toast). Transfer to a bowl. Wipe out the pan.

4 Form the meatballs

In a bowl, combine the chorizo and breadcrumbs. Gently mix until just combined. Shape the mixture into 10 tightly packed meatballs. Transfer to a plate.

Form the meatballs
Cook the meatballs & serve your dish
5 Cook the meatballs & serve your dish

In the same pan, a drizzle of olive oil on medium-high until hot. Add the meatballs. Cook, turning occasionally, 3 to 4 minutes, or until browned on all sides. Using a spoon, move the meatballs to one side of the pan. Add the chipotle-peanut mixture to the other side. Cook, stirring frequently, 30 seconds to 1 minute, or until fragrant. Add 1 cup of water (carefully, as the liquid may splatter). Cook, stirring frequently and spooning the sauce over the meatballs, 5 to 7 minutes, or until the sauce is thickened and the meatballs are cooked through.* Turn off the heat. Taste, then season with salt and pepper if desired. Serve the cooked meatballs and sauce over the pepper rice. Garnish with the seasoned sour cream and toasted pepitas. Enjoy!

*The USDA recommends a minimum safe cooking temperature of 160°F for pork. 

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